“Okay,” I say weakly as this is just too weird, even for me.
Devon ducks quickly over to me and gives me a quick kiss and then he is off, Astraporting away, happy as can be.
“I will see you later then,” CK says to me, giving my bump a stroke. “Oh, and remember the name we decided on?”
“Name?” I ask. When did we come up with a name?
“Eternal,” CK reminds me.
Oh, yes. I remember now that he came up with that name in Vegas when we first discussed this as a possibility. Christ, it seems like an eternity ago.
“Mm-hm,” I say, giving him a nod.
“I want to change it,” he says.
“To what?” I ask curious.
“Rosa was key to this pregnancy and she made it known that she would like her to be named after our mother,” CK says, going slightly pink and it’s adorable.
“Arathia?” I ask.
“Yes,” he says.
“Okay,” I agree easily. It is a beautiful name and I know it will make CK happy to comply with his request. And keeping him happy seems like a really good idea right now. He is fucking with my head, and most of me wonders if this is, in fact, the master of all manipulations. If so, he wins the game hands down. I fold. I am out. I hate it and I want it to end, but how? There is only one way I can think of, and that is to piss him off so badly that he can’t help but return to old CK. Devon isn’t doing it, even Remiel isn’t getting up his nose right now. That leaves only one Vampire I can think of and boy, will he be pissed off if he finds me with Frederick. Definitely something to think about...
“Thank you,” he murmurs quietly to me and kisses me quickly.
“If I’m not back in a couple of hours, come for me?” I ask him.
He gives me a searching look at my unnatural neediness but then nods.
I Astral off to find Delinda and Remiel in the gardens to explain, as best I can, how the living arrangements are going to work from now on.
Chapter 19
After a game of hide and seek in the castle grounds, I leave Delinda in the capable hands of Remiel. I want to bring her back to the Underworld with me but decide at the last minute that things could get nasty and I don’t want her getting hurt or upset.
“I will be back soon,” I say to her. “Be good for Papa.”
“I will,” she says in a sing-song voice and then races off, leaving me to hover uncertainly next to Remiel. Does he expect me to kiss him goodbye, or what?
“Where will you take her?” I ask. I don’t expect him to stay here without me.
“I am going back to the Underworld with you,” he replies.
I roll my eyes at him. “No, I need Delinda safe. I can’t tell how the next conve
rsation is going to go.”
“What is it about?” he asks.
“Nothing you need to know right now,” I say dismissively.
“I will give you fifteen minutes to get your conversation started and then I will return with Delinda. I will be there for you if you need me,” he says seriously.
“I need you there for Delinda,” I snap at him.
“And I will be,” he says mildly.